you scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!

A scoop of coffee + toffee ice cream. The recipe is in my cookbook!

This past weekend, I had a contest that asked friends and friends of friends for a new seasonal ice cream flavor. My offer: I’d make a quart for the person with the best suggestion. Close to 200 ideas were submitted (a sample listed below). What should we do next weekend? :) 

The top 10:

#7 

HEDY GOLDSMITH HOSTING DESSERT PARTY TO FIGHT CHILDREN’S CANCER

Miami foodies know Hedy Goldsmith as the Magic City’s dessert queen; Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink’s pastry chef extraordinaire; and creator of mouthwatering twists on childhood favorites like chocolate peanut butter brownie banana splits, s’more brownies and buttered popcorn gelato.

Drooling yet?

But besides her role as the 305’s sweets sovereign, Goldsmith is also committed to charitable causes. When Michael Schwartz originally introduced her to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) she was moved.

The charity was the original brainchild of Alexandra Scott, a victim of childhood cancer who, at age four, decided to start a lemonade stand to raise money to help other kids like herself. Alex passed away at the age of 8 but not before helping to raise more than $1 million to fight cancers like the one that took her life. Her family continues to work in her stead.

“After participating in my first Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation event, I was so incredibly moved by the undeniable enthusiasm and sense of support for such a devastating disease that affects children at what should be the best time of their lives. I was also extremely impressed by the leadership of the Foundation, stating with Alex’s mom, Liz Scott,” Goldsmith says.

As she became more involved, Goldsmith decided to dream up her own event to help the cause. And Sweet Miami Lemonade was born.

At the event, scheduled for November 1 at Marlins Park, stadium chefs will prepare dessert treats paired with signature cocktails from Goldsmith’s upcoming debut cookbook, Baking Out Loud: Fun Desserts with Big Flavors. For the $150 ticket price, attendees will also have access to four VIP suites and the chance to bid on an assortment of goodies. The event is limited to 200 guests.

“What better way to bring attention to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation than with dessert? It’s everyone’s favorite thing to eat, from kids through adults! With the launch of my new cookbook, I thought it was a great idea to also bring awareness to the cause through a Pop-Tart, an Oreo or even Nutter Butters.”

So what kind of sweet treats will lucky attendees be indulging in?

“Well, if I really have to give away my surprises, then we will definitely be having nutters, snickers, s’more brownies, twinks (my version of Twinkies), biscotti, and my favorite cookie, ‘Junk In Da Trunk,’ just to name a few!” Goldsmith assures.

Sweet Miami Lemonade kicks off at Thursday, November 1, at Marlins Park. Tickets run $150 apiece, and all proceeds benefit ALSF. They can be purchased online atalexslemonade.org.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is a cause dear to my heart. Whenever and whatever I can do to bring awareness to childhood cancer, I’m in! So, I thought, why night help strike out kids’ cancer with some sweets in Marlins Park VIP suites!

“Announcing Sweet Miami Lemonade - the newest addition to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s roster of culinary events benefiting childhood cancer research! 

Featuring Hedy Goldsmith, acclaimed pastry chef at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, the exclusive event will span four private suites at the new Marlins Park. Each suite will highlight signature cocktails paired with desserts from Hedy’s new cookbook,”BAKING OUT LOUD: Fun Desserts with Big Flavors.” Be among the first to indulge in desserts such as Hedy’s Tangerine Creamsicle Pot de Creme, Buttered Popcorn Gelato and Junk in da Trunk Cookies and contribute to finding a cure for childhood cancer. 

Only 200 tickets ($150 each) are available to this event that will also feature a silent auction. Sponsorships to the inaugural event are also available starting at just $1,000. Satisfy your sweet tooth and help us to strike out kids’ cancer!”

Find out more about Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and donate today!

Bake the Book: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Bake the Book: Baking Out Loud (courtesy of Serious Eats, September 10, 2012)

Are you a bold baker? One who doesn’t shy away from flavor and uses their technical skills to enliven and elevate their creations? Then you’ll be pleased with Baking out Loud, the latest book from James Beard nominee and pastry chef of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Hedy Goldsmith.

The theme here is confidently simple. The recipes feel (and often are) pared down to the essential components of flavor, texture and enjoyment. But once made, the desserts themselves often taste like more than the sum of their parts. Goldsmith has eschewed fancy or fussy in favor of delicious, and it’s a smart move. For example, in our first feature choice, lemon ricotta pancakes, she devotes a step to rubbing the lemon zest and sugar together, creating a lemon sugar that serves as the flavorful base for a delicious breakfast. Clever tricks like these can be found all over the book, which serve as both smart shortcuts and inspiration. For example, lemon sugar makes a perfect tea sweetener.

While her oven-baked treats are sure to find their way into your list of favorites, the chapter devoted to frozen treats really shines. A recipe for buttered popcorn gelato is a great example. There’s also licorice gelato, for those with different tastes.

Every arena of dessert is covered here, from popcorn bark to bacon praline. For any simple dessert with serious flavor, Baking out Loud is a great guide. We’ll be kicking off this feature with lemon ricotta pancakes, and juxtaposing that with a ridiculously rich yet easy-to-make bourbon chocolate tart.

Next up: FEAST Portland and I couldn’t be more excited! While Amy, my Assistant Pastry Chef holds down the fort in Miami, I’m taking my #3 in command, Tiffany Rawson. She’s a West coast kinda girl, so she’ll be digging it. For us, it’s all about what is fresh and growing in the Pacific NW. Based in S. Fla, that’s a real treat for me. 

Friday night 9/21, you’ll find us cooking at one of the amazing dinner series. Held at Lincoln Restaurant, this one is girl power! From the website: “New York City’s April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig, The John Dory, The Breslin) and Portland’s own Jenn Louis (Lincoln, Sunshine Tavern, Culinary Artistry) each helm three culinary outposts, and both have been named Best New Chef byFood & Wine magazine. With celebrated pastry whiz and James Beard finalist Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in charge of dessert duty, this is one dinner not to be missed”. 

What’s for dessert? Family-style warm fresh fruit Crostadas. I’m waiting to get up there and go with Jenn and pick the best of what’s freshest. Jenn told me to be thinking about heirloom plums and Chester blackberries. AWESOME! 

Moving on to Saturday night 9/22, I’m part of an amazing event called High Comfort, “High Comfort is a showcase of comfort foods pushed out of their comfort zone and into an elevated and rarefied realm: where mac and cheese is scented with Oregon truffles, where a Reuben sandwich is made with Dungeness crab and sturgeon caviar, and where a diner is never more than an arm’s length away from the next piece of Iberian ham or foie gras. Oregon’s premier wineries, and a few of their high-end European counterparts, provide the perfect complement to the evening’s indulgences”

This one is right up my alley…comfort foods pushed out of their comfort zones? HELLO? My menu: Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream, Chipotle Cracker Jacks, Espresso, Bacon + Banana griddled bites, and by request, treats from BAKING OUT LOUD, my versions of Double stuffed Nutters, O’s and Biscotti. These babies aren’t just going to sneak up onto the table, they’re going to be in-your-face and flavor forward. Sorry, I just can’t help myself, it’s what I do!

Tickets are still available and please don’t forget, there’s a mission here: helping to raise funds for Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. No one should ever go hungry!! Ever.

Tickets here.